My Kingdom (2011)

Had all the action, a good looking cast, and a story with potential; unfortunately, it was told quite poorly.

The good...

1) Wu Chun and Han Geng

Need I say more? *_*...oh I do...okay...

Coming into this film I had never seen any of Wu Chun's or Han Geng's previous work, so I literally had no idea what to expect as far as their acting abilities go. With that said, I found their performances rather captivating. Their acrobatic/fighting skills alone were top notch, and their abilities to act out emotions, I found convincing—I liked it. To be honest, these two leads were the main appeal of the film for me, besides its historical 1920s Shanghai feel and the fact that it is a martial arts-type film. If there is anything that can take away from Wu Chun’s and Han Geng’s performances, I would say it’s the story itself.

2) The Production

From the sets to the intricately detailed costumes and make-up, I think as far as visuals go, My Kingdom was filmed very well. The acrobatic/action sequences were well choreographed and performed perfectly by the cast members.
Can’t really hate on the music...it served its purpose; highlight action sequences and emotional moments.

The bad...

1) The Story

Flat out poorly written...really. The story's biggest problem was the fact that it had too many revenge plots and failed to eloquently sustain them all. At first it was just the brothers (Yilong and Er Kui) seeking to avenge the humiliating defeat of their master, then it took a sharp turn into two other plots, ultimately fish tailing the story into incoherence.

The potential for a masterpiece was there—I mean I can understand where the writers wanted to take the film; they just failed to map it out well. That is partly due to how a lot of elements were implied throughout the film, brushed under a rug, and then magically appeared before my eyes like BAZINGA!!--which pretty much include specific characters’ motives and development. As in, there will be an instance in which a character does something/behaves in some way, and you’re left wondering “WTH?”

Now, there are some good points in the story too--some very fascinating points, but it is unfortunate they our outweighed by the bad.

Overall, not that bad of a film, but I wouldn’t be in a rush to watch it. I’m not saying to skip it or anything; rather, give it a chance, but don’t expect much.

Read More